Converting Distressed Ethanol Plant to Beverage Distillery

[tomggfg]

I am not sure if this is purely crazy, but wanted to know if anyone has thoughts on feasability of converting a corn based ethanol plant into a vodka distilling plant?

[delaware_phoenix]

One hurdle you'll have to make sure you can surmount is the fact that cars don't care what the liquor tastes like and that people do.

I'd talk to an expert, even if it costs money.

[Spirits Review]

Actually someone approached the owner of the old Michters Whiskey distillery with the opposite question.

(I just toured the place a few weeks ago to look it over - http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiritsreview...57604984602396/ )

Probably much easier to convert a food grade plant to non food (and taste).

[Gwydion Stone]

I'm just going to throw this out there, because I don't know what kind of apparatus you're looking at, but it seems to me it already is a vodka plant. Vodka, according to federal law, is a type of the neutral spirits class:

27CFR5.22

Sec. 5.22 The standards of identity.

Standards of identity for the several classes and types of distilled spirits set forth in this section shall be as follows (see also Sec. 5.35, class and type):

(a) Class 1; neutral spirits or alcohol. “Neutral spirits” or “alcohol” are distilled spirits produced from any material at or above 190° proof, and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 80° proof.

(1) “Vodka” is neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.

[delaware_phoenix]

Actually someone approached the owner of the old Michters Whiskey distillery with the opposite question.

(I just toured the place a few weeks ago to look it over - http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiritsreview...57604984602396/ )

Probably much easier to convert a food grade plant to non food (and taste).

And you won't take such a gem and start making great whiskey again?

You'll have a much harder time making pot stills produce fuel grade ethanol.

[Andrew]

Actually someone approached the owner of the old Michters Whiskey distillery with the opposite question.

(I just toured the place a few weeks ago to look it over - http://www.flickr.com/photos/spiritsreview...57604984602396/ )

Probably much easier to convert a food grade plant to non food (and taste).

Heartbreaking. But getting repurposed does keep it from further deterioration or teardown.

[Rich Morgan]

I am not sure if this is purely crazy, but wanted to know if anyone has thoughts on feasability of converting a corn based ethanol plant into a vodka distilling plant?

I consulted on this very same concept some years back in South America.

Your single biggest problem will be producing a food grade product from a industrial plant. The main factor will be the compatability of the materials (metals etc) in the process line. Most concerning would be the presence of lead in the distillate path, through the condensors. Also, depending on what the entrainer they were using was, the may be residual traces of these highly poisonous chemicals (benzene, cyclohexene or pentane) in the system. It is fair to say that any equipment used during and after the denaturing phase would have to be junked, although not normally poisonous, the denaturing agents are very potent to taste and practically impossible to remove once in the final product.

On a more positive note, the building, services (water prep, boiler, waste handling, raw materails handling) would be most suited to you mission. Just scutenize the plant, pipework, pumps, tanks and vats (oh and the stills :-) before.. This is what we did in Sounth America.

rich..

[Robert Cassell]

Heartbreaking. But getting repurposed does keep it from further deterioration or teardown.

To say that place is falling apart is an understatement..... Birds fly in and out of old steam lines, you can kiss all those miles of steam lines good bye after being open to the environment for over a decade.... I would no recommend walking through there, unless you like walking on floors about to break under your weight. The gentleman that owns it is a well mannered extremely nice guy, but it will take millions to get that place running again.